DEBS: Lucy's POV
by Captivated Heart
Summary: Exactly what the title says it is: the D.E.B.S. movie completely from Lucy Diamond's point of view.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Alas, I haven't purchased D.E.B.S from Angela Robinson since I last published. I'll work on that.

Rating: What's the movie rated again? PG-13? We'll go with that I suppose.

Summary: It's literally the movie completely from Lucy's point of view, plus a few added snippets where they belong considering we follow Amy in the movie.

A/N: If anyone has ANYTHING to add, subtract, fix, or generally comment on, let me know and I'll clean it up. Oh, and never mind the abrupt ending. I'll get back to that… eventually. Here's to you, kirax29.

D.E.B.S: The Fanfiction

"A good D.E.B. is a dead D.E.B." The sign dangled from the chain it had hung from since my father put it up after a Deb, Agent Petrie, first attempted to apprehend him. She never did, but she was the one to bring down the Schaeffers after his death. Regardless, the sign stayed.

I sat down in the black and red leather chair that used to be his, the custom-designed screen looming in front of me with the sign hanging behind it. Scud stood to my right just inside my peripherals, a pensive look about his face. He probably feared I would turn the offer down and was running through how to best present it. I can't say I disagree with the fear, I had turned down seven already and dropped out on the last one after a few minutes.

Heaving a sigh, I glanced over the graphics flashing the name Ninotchka Kaprova above them. I had to admit the blonde did look my type, yet something was off.

"Your scheduled meet, twenty-hundred hours."

Trying to quell my apprehension, I asked back evenly, "Where'd you find her?"

"Zeda tipped us. Said she's available, in from Prague, relocating stateside."

Something was still off. "Assassin?" I asked.

He answered back coolly, "Check," as if he had anticipated the question. I couldn't blame him, he did know me well. I still didn't let my hard expression fall.

"Where's the meet?"

Another graphic materialized showing a restaurant I could find no immediate objections with. What can I say? Scud's good. Plus, I always did like the foreign venues.

"Les Deux Amours. Trendy, yet discreet."

Ninotchka's short introductory clip reappeared on the screen and enlarged giving her smile that much more of a gleam. Still, indecision pressed my eyebrows in tighter as I stared. Then I quickly flicked my eyes in Scud's direction before finally laying out my decision. "Cancel it."

I didn't wait to see his reaction and stalked off, leaving the video on the screen with whatever it had wrong with it – I still hadn't figured it out.

"Why?" I heard him demand almost childishly. "It's all set up!"

He followed me up the stairs towards my room where I told him stubbornly, "I don't do blind dates."

"Yeah, well… It's not a blind date if you know what they look like, okay?"

What kind of logic was that? Besides, when was the last time he went out on a date? I thought about bringing it up as a rebuttal but didn't. He's just trying to help after all. Still, he didn't have to be so persistent about it.

"Just…" I reached for a reply, "tell her I'm not coming, okay? Say I came down with something."

"Come on, Lucy, it's been two years, you have to get out there!"

I wheeled around to face him and shrieked indignantly, "I am out there!" Jimmy came up to me with a clipboard. I knew he was working on getting my cars in state so I signed and turned back to Scud. "I went out with that drummer, the girl from the band that talked really loud." The night's memory flashed back, overcoming my expressions to portray just how bad of a night it had been.

"No, you didn't go out with her. We all went out together. And then you lied and said you had food poisoning and you went home early." He pointed at the bedroom where I had spent the remainder of the night for emphasis while I stared him down, hands on hips. I didn't want to see his logic. That outing was the only excuse I had thought of so far, weak as it was.

I stuck with it anyway and growled out, "Yeah, well she talked really loud. Like even when you were right next to her."

We finally made it to my room and my stride didn't break in the least as I turned to the ramp and rounded the globe I had improved with a big red X over Australia.

"Look, I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to drown yourself in your little schemes to destroy the world, but you need to get over it already, okay? You were dumped."

Surprise and another round of indignant tones took over again before I could again convince myself he was here to help. "I was not dumped." He thought I was in denial, but honestly, what did he know about it anyway? Leaving him be, I started picking through some of my clothes I had yet to unpack and came to a leather jacket.

"Oh, you were dumped hard." My hands clenched around the black material. If I didn't know better, I would think he was trying to rub it in, but again, I mentally grinned and bore it as a friend trying to help. It didn't stop me from ignoring him though. "And that sucks," he continued anyway, "but you took your time off to go to Antarctica or whatever…"

"Reykjavik," I interrupted, heading toward the dismantled safe I was using as a closet to add the long jacket. "It's in Iceland."

He plowed through the correction. "But now it's time to get back in the game, Lucy." He spun me around by the shoulder until I was facing him again and placed a hand over each of my arms. Had anyone else been trying to persuade me to go out when I didn't want to and attempted to touch my shoulders in the process, they probably wouldn't be on their feet much longer. As it was, I sighed and listened to his low, almost hopeful tone. "You've got a date tonight with a beautiful Russian assassin and you're going to show up."

I sighed one last time, thinking over everything he was saying.

"Lucy," he urged.

"Fine," I relented, yet his grip didn't loosen. "Okay, I'll go. I'll be there."

He finally let go, content with my answer, and briefly allowed me to escape to my closet. "Just promise me you'll be open."

"Open to what?" I looked back, wary to promise anything with the childlike hope he was radiating.

A smile curved his lips up in one direction and his fists came to clench before his chest in his rendition of transferring his optimism to me. "Open to love."

I had been about to offer a snarky reply about how he wasn't all too open to love himself, but his blue eyes caught mine and his smile got to me. Instead, I fixed him with a disbelieving glare I couldn't hold for long. Tonight was going to be a disaster, I knew it already.

The ride over was silent, as I wanted it to be. Cars lined up and down the entire street for the restaurant and the valets' hands were filling up with keys faster than a jar of keys at a rave. Discreet my…

"You can do this."

The leather jacket I had found earlier was draped around my shoulders now offering me a small amount of comfort and security from the world outside of the Sky Mobile. Sighing again, I asked, "How is it I can hold the whole world hostage, I'm scared of going on one stupid blind date?"

Scud leaned over as if he was about to share life's meaning and then looked away thoughtfully. "Because… love is harder than crime." He nodded as he spoke as if convincing himself as well. I gave him the same disbelieving stare. Waving me out of the car, he spoke with confidence again. "Okay? Now knock 'em dead."

I started pulling at the door hesitantly, really not wanting to move from the car, much less into the building.

"But not really," Scud added quickly with a wag of his finger.

"Sure…" I reassured him and finally stepped out onto the pavement.

The restaurant loomed before me in all its height, which had to be a good three or four stories high. I would have thought it was a hotel if I didn't know better.

The men collecting keys allowed me to step past though I half hoped at least one of them would stop and tell me I wasn't allowed in. Where was my reputation when I needed it?

I inhaled deeply, let it out slowly, and then asked the hostess just inside the doors if the guest of the Dierks reservation had arrived. Scud didn't often go by his real name, Samuel Cal Dierks, so it stood to get us a reservation without drawing too much attention to ourselves.

The hostess said yes, she was here, and had a waiter lead me to a room full of tables no more than a few feet apart from each other. Yet again, discreet my a––

"Your table is right over there, Miss."

Annoyance at being called Miss, as in a child barely out of her teens, made me want to roll my eyes, but I soon thought of it as better than being addressed as Ma'am. I'm certainly not that old.

"Thank you."

He smiled and went back to his duties leaving me all alone with Ninotchka a few feet away. Well, as alone as possible in the fairly crowded room.

Okay, one last sigh and I would do this. Approaching the table, I shrugged out of my jacket, and with it, most of my confidence. I'll admit the black of my clothing was my protection, my shell to hide behind. "Hi, um, sorry I'm late. I, uh, I got lost."

"It is no problem. I vas early." The R sound rolled right off her tongue and the thick Russian accent heavily coated everything at least once over with a foreign flair. I couldn't decide if I particularly liked it much yet. Spanish accents had always been my thing.

Realizing I hadn't replied, I gave a curt smile, nodded, and sat down. The menu was lying on my plate but I soon opened it and glanced it over, quickly seeing something that could easily upset my stomach without causing too much damage. Can't fake it twice in a row, Scud would have a conniption.

Ninotchka had set her menu down by now so when the waiter came over, she ordered and then he turned to me. "Um, I'll have the, uh, the cob, and some wine." I turned to my dinner date. "D-do you want wine?"

She offered a hard stare and said two syllables with more command than I had ever heard from another woman. "Vodka."

I couldn't help the slight widening of my eyes but tried to hide it by repeating the word and then turning back to the waiter, adding a please.

He took the menus with him and disappeared towards the kitchen. I shook my bangs out of my face and looked back at Ninotchka, finally taking in her animal prints and fur. Not exactly my thing, but I guess it looked okay on her. The fake diamond necklace and matching earrings, however…

I mentally shook the thought from my head and reminded myself I was supposed to be trying here.

The silence stretched on and I hadn't the slightest clue of what to talk about. Scud was good at small talk. I normally left it to him because whatever I needed to say could be said with a look. Anyone that knew me could attest to that.

Obviously not one for small talk either, she stared back, taking me in with pursed lips that curved into a slight smile. I could see the conversation was up to me.

"So you're an assassin," I began lamely.

She seemed to think it over and finally answered, "Da."

Nodding pretty absently, I tried to redeem myself. "How's that work?"

A multi-toned mumble confirmed her thought process on the subject. "Is mostly freelance."

"So you just basically, you what, you kill like whoever?"

Her expression blank, she deadpanned, "Sometimes maim. Maiming's more."

For the first time in years, I allowed someone besides Scud to see an emotion cross my face. I was incredulous at her answer.

When she added with a smile, "But I do it just to pay bills," I perked up, visibly seeing the conversation picking up.

I sighed in relief. "Really?"

"Mostly," she smiled again, "I vant to be dancer." Then the expression left her face entirely and she mimed out a position with a sweep of her arms.

I smiled widely, trying my best to hide the nervous feeling that came over me.

Something about her set me on edge as everything about this dinner made me want to run for the hills. Whatever was "off" about her before suddenly became clear. It wasn't her, that's why I couldn't place it. I just so wasn't ready for this. Talking with someone about killing and ballet dancing over dinner was not how I saw myself finding someone if I had to at all, and according to Scud, I had to be 'open to love.' Well I tried. Honestly.

The waiter came back with the soup and vodka. Ninotchka went right for the drink while I sipped on my water leaving the wine firmly on the table. I started to focus more on the soup but still heard her speaking in the background. "Greatest dance instructor in Russia, but I can't afford to pay. So, he say, my vife is cheating on me. You kill her lover, I give you free lessons." She went on and on, the drink making it to her throat every few words until she didn't even seem to realize what she was saying anymore. "First man was goat farmer so I use goat sheers."

The incredulous look was replaced by one of disgust, I'm sure, as I listened, thinking the entire time of how I wanted to play out my leave.

"Second man, he's likes chickens, so I took six chickens…"

I could see where this was going and tightened my features to hold back the little bit of soup I had should it want to return.

"…and put in throa…" Thankfully, she stopped. "Vhat's wrong?"

Yes, an opening. "Oh, you know, I just ah, I just, I'm feeling really ill. It's my stomach, I um, I think I have food poisoning."

Her lips were pursed together again, her eyes sharp. "Are you blowing me?" she questioned heatedly.

"What?" I exclaimed, my voice holding just as much question and rising in surprise.

"Off," she corrected as if everyone made that mistake. "Are you blowing me off?"

Shit. "No! No, no," I tried to settle her down. She still looked agitated, but just then something dropped right into my soup bowl splashing a bit of the contents on the table. Curious, I scooped it out with my spoon and found it to be a metal bracelet. This only intensified my curiosity so I craned my neck upwards. Seeing five people suspended in mid-air, my jaw dropped and I immediately reached for my gun. I glanced back and noticed all five of them already had their guns trained on me.

This would be the last time I took Scud's advice. Open to love apparently meant open to attack in this country.

I slid the gun back into my jacket, trying not to start a scene. The waiter, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, popped the top off a bottle of wine at the table next to ours. Next thing I knew, a shot whizzed past my head and shattered the vase holding a few flowers formerly making up our centerpiece.

Jesus Christ! Even other criminals were more courteous than this. At least they didn't want you 'dead or alive.'

I grabbed at Ninotchka, almost knocking the cigarette she had just lit out of her hand, and shoved her towards the bar a few feet away. She got the idea and ran, both of us jumping over the banister and landing on our stomachs as if we were thrown from an explosion. We might as well have been the way the Debs were shooting at us as they dropped from the ceiling. Green stirring rods rained down on the two of us as the dispenser was shot with a stray bullet.

Tables behind us overturned as I pressed my back to the bar's cupboards. The room full of people eating with light conversations had turned to chaos in the matter of seconds yet this was nothing new to me. While others were screaming their panic, I was berating myself for not anticipating this.

We both retaliated quickly and shot a few bullets each towards the table the Debs were hunkered down behind. I steadied myself on the countertop and saw Ninotchka raise her gun with one hand, barely glancing at the sight. When nothing hit its mark, I dropped below the bar again with Ninotchka following.

"Vas it something I said?"

Did we have to have this conversation now? "No!" I tried again to reassure her. "No, look, I just, I… I just got back into town. You know? And, and, and," I hopelessly reached for an explanation, "and I just got out of a relationship…"

"I'm not asking for relationship," she nearly cried, lighting up another cigarette.

When nothing else came to mind, I started babbling out the truth. "It's not you. I mean you seem really, really nice. You do, it's me."

"Maybe, I can change."

Didn't I just tell her it wasn't her? Not knowing what else to say, I extended my hearing and noticed it was too quiet. They had to be close. I stood in a crouch, craning my neck to get a look at the Debs' position and tossed a grenade in front of them. Then I knew what to say. "I'm just not interested!" I cringed. That came out a little harsh.

The hand grenade went off sending bits of stray napkins at us but I didn't hear any screams. The Debs had turned tail like I thought they would, which is great. As much as I should want them dead, I don't actually want them _dead_ dead.

"You know," she sucked on her cigarette and held it with tight lips, "you vill die alone."

My mouth dropped at her words. I would not! Just because I didn't want a head-case for a girlfriend… especially one that can't tell fake diamonds from the real thing.

She pulled on her sunglasses, grabbed her bag and spat out her cigarette before heading for the side of the bar. Her fur dress had risen up her legs but I simply scoffed at her escape. I raised my head above the bar just enough to see her dash to the exit before a flash of plaid at the far end of the room caught my eye and I ducked again. My gun was trusty and I knew exactly how many bullets it held but I took the magazine out and double checked just to be sure. Seeing the same count I had in my head, I slid it back in, rose up, this time to a steady standing position, and shot off a few rounds towards the darker Deb. Every last shot landed in the pillar she leaned against making me curse to myself. Not only was I out of practice, but I would be out of ammo long before the other plaid-clad Debs even showed up. It was time to get out of this trendy yet discreet hell-hole.

A table with take-out orders piled high was a few feet in front of me. I cleared it with a sweep of my arm and pried it loose from the stand on the floor. The three other Debs were rounding the corner, their weapons drawn and aiming towards me. It was now or never.

I dashed out, the table taking the gunfire with ease and scattering the bullets away from my body. Fire from a few automatics went off clinking on the table every few milliseconds. How many people were going to try and kill me today? I finally made it to the exit and bolted across the pavement of the now empty parking lot. A set of double doors caught my attention and I rushed inside coming face-to-face with large rolls of paper making a maze of the building. This could work.

The rows followed no specific pattern. It was as if they were designed to make someone lost. I followed the path with my ears trained on the slightest of sounds and my 9mm berretta following my eyes when I finally saw an exit sign above a doorway.

Hopefully, some of the Debs had followed me in and would be slowed down. Knowing it would only be by a few minutes, I dashed to the door. I was within a few feet but went crashing to the ground, my gun lost from my grip, when I collided with something, or rather someone.

"Oh my God, I am so sorry!" I immediately apologized, hearing her echo my words and add another apology. I turned to face her and caught a glimpse of blue plaid. Frozen in my expression of fear, I could do nothing as she stared back at me with the same look.

Until she muttered, "Oh my God…"

"Oh shit." I knew what was coming and grabbed my gun, drawing it on her with reflexes rivaling those of the old days.

We were both standing, staring into the other's gun barrel. "You're Lucy Diamond," she stated almost calmly.

"You're a Deb," I pointed out scornfully.

She straightened her gun's aim. "You have the right to remain silent…"

"You're reading me my rights?" I huffed out a laugh, not believing this girl's lack of intimidation.

She wasn't fazed in the least and continued with a single glance down to my gun, "Anything you say can and will be used against you."

Without a comeback, I stared at her and saw her falter. Was that what it was? My eyebrows scrunched in curiosity. This girl was brave one minute and backing down the next?

Her eyes rolled and finally she squeezed them shut to my surprise. Hello, I had a gun on her! It was kind of cute though.

"Okay, here's the thing."

"Yeah?"

She gave a quick sigh. "I am really not up for dying today."

Taken back, I conceded, "Me neither."

"So," she switched off between staring at my gun and then me, "I was thinking that, ah, why don't you put your gun down?"

"Why don't you put your gun down," I asked unwaveringly. Like I would be the one to put my gun down first.

She adopted a thoughtful look and explained, "You're the criminal and I'm the cop. So I think I'm technically more trustworthy."

"Except that I was totally minding my own business on some stupid blind date when you guys decided to rain shit all over me," I shot back, my grip tightening on the gun.

Her stare lightened making me suspicious again.

"Wait," she spoke with a certain innocence, "you were on a blind date?"

Great job, Diamond. No wonder Scud was the one that talked us out of things. "Whatever," I mumbled, wishing I hadn't said anything.

Her gun drew back and pointed lazily to the ceiling while her other hand landed on her hip. "With that Russian girl?" She sounded like she would burst out laughing any second.

Wanting to know what was so funny, I asked with all the stern I could muster, "What?"

"Nothing! It's just, I didn't know you were a…"

"Why would you know?" I demanded. Her gun was pointing at me again and I finally realized mine had dropped. Somehow, I couldn't quite raise it back up again. I wanted to know what she would say.

"Wow…"

The single word resonated in my head and jumbled up my thoughts. What was it about this girl?

She sounded so distraught when she said, "That really torpedoes my thesis."

Her what? "Your thesis?"

"I'm," she halfway smiled, "writing a term paper on you."

I let out a genuine laugh. "You're kidding me."

"No," she actually smiled this time. "It's for Capes and Capers: Gender Reconstruction and the Criminal Mastermind. It's a really popular class."

"Oh come on." She had to be kidding.

"But it's hard because there's only anecdotal evidence about you. No one's actually ever spoken to you."

I paused at that. It was true, I didn't really talk to anyone besides Scud. "Til now," I realized aloud.

Another smile slowly curved her lips upwards as she agreed, "Right. Until now."

I could feel my guard dropping ever so slowly. The realization had come double-folded; I enjoyed talking with her. I finally took a moment to look her over and then focused on her face again. Her lips were full and still tilted up to tell me she didn't completely hate talking to me either. Then I caught her eyes. The light blue was captivating and I had a hard time shaking out of the gaze.

Then another realization hit me. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

As if she had insulted an esteemed world leader, she rested her gun in the crook of her left arm and extended her right. I gave it a firm shake, only barely stopping myself from caressing the smooth skin with the presented opportunity. "Amy Bradshaw. Debs, Sector One."

The introduction sounded so formal that I offered my own in return even though she had proven earlier she knew who I was. "Lucy Diamond."

Without a hint of deceit or sarcasm, she responded, "It's really nice to meet you."

Was it nice? Meeting me? I searched her face and couldn't stop from glancing down at her form when she looked away, her cheeks almost unnoticeably reddening.

I glanced back up when she let out a breathy laugh and half-heartedly raised her gun. "You're still, you know, under arrest." She was still smiling but I doubt it was because her gun was raised and mine was lowered.

A smirk easily came to my lips. "Am I?"

"Amy!" I heard another Deb yell.

Looking back, I offered the girl being summoned an innocent look of my own. "You know you could just let me go."

She chanced a glance to the side and finally returned, "I really couldn't." When she refused to meet my eyes right away, I knew she wanted to let me go. It didn't hurt that I found the look cute either. Cute? Get in the game, Diamond.

"Come on," I urged with a straight face I had to work at maintaining, "haven't you ever done something you're not supposed to?"

She looked about ready to give in when the other Deb called again asking where she was.

Amy turned her head and I quickly emptied my pockets of the small diamonds I always had. It was my rendition of disappearing in a cloud of smoke. She called out, "I'm over here," just as I slipped behind a few rolls of the paper surrounding us. As I walked away using the full extent of my thieving prowess, I heard a quickly slurred "Sonovabitch" and a stamp of a heel. I couldn't help but smile. Maybe tonight wasn't a complete bust.

Scud was waiting just outside with the Sky Mobile's engine rumbling beneath the hood. I ran over and hopped in the front seat, barely closing the door before he had the tires squealing across the pavement.

"What a disaster! I am so sorry. Leave it to the Debs… You're in town a week and they're just all over you, just grabbing…"

The entire time he ranted I simply watched him, trying to gauge what kind of reaction he would give to what I wanted to say. I know he doesn't think kindly of the Debs even after they got the Schaeffers off our backs.

He noticed my stare and calmed down. "What?"

I looked away, not sure if I was quite ready for him to explode.

"Really, what?"

Scud wasn't the kind of person to give up when I'm trying to hide something so I started, "I met somebody."

The car screeched to a stop and I turned to him, knowing a deep conversation was coming. "I knew it, okay. I mean it was a little weird, the thing about the dance, but I had the feeling you and Ninotchka were going to…"

"No, no, no," I abruptly cut him off. "Okay, Ninotchka was a train wreck, thank you."

"I'm not following." His eyes held mine, looking for the answer. This is what he wanted for me after all. I guess I had to tell him.

"Okay, first of all, you are going to have to swear to me that you are not going to freak out about this."

"Freak out about what? Why would I freak out?" Outwardly, he remained calm, but I could tell it was just about to begin.

"Well you know sometimes you…"

He didn't even let me finish before shouting out, "Oh my God! Who is it?"

I sighed and then went for a nonchalant look. "Okay, what do you know about an Amy Bradshaw?"

"Amy Bradshaw." His face cleared of anger. "The girl from the smuggling op."

"No," I growled. Definitely not.

"No," he repeated and stared ahead blankly. Another option seemed to hit him as he went through the motions of gagging on his own unspoken words as they wrestled with his tongue. "Oh my God. Amy Bradshaw?" He looked my way merely to search for underlying guilt. Tough luck finding it, I didn't feel any. "Blonde hair?" My mouth twitched upwards. "Plaid skirt?" he spat out. This time I smiled. "She's a Deb!" Here it comes… "Okay? Not only is she A Deb, she's THE Deb. She is the Perfect Score."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I didn't even care to find out the answer as I opened the car door and got out.

Scud followed suit and stalked toward me until we met in front of the car. Pointing his finger at me, he answered my rhetorical question. "Amy Bradshaw is the only person ever to get a perfect score on the secret test in the SAT."

I could really care less at the moment. All I could see was her blue eyes looking at mine with an ignitable spark when she smiled. "Give me the keys, Scud."

"Are you listening to me? Perfect Score means Perfect Spy. She is their pride and joy. She is literally their poster child."

Annoyance was evident as I snapped back, "Yes, well their poster child doesn't know it yet but she's into me." I grabbed the keys.

"You can't be serious."

"Would you say back on the horse?" I couldn't stop my grin. After all, this is what he wanted. I was being open to love just like he asked.

I must have shocked him hard because I got all the way to the driver's seat before he responded. "Where are you going?"

The steering wheel was tight in my grip. "Back." No other word felt as right and no other thought was as satisfying as what I was about to do.

Happily leaving the party crasher behind, I pulled away from the curb to turn my thoughts into actions. With the windows down, I could hear him call after me heatedly, "P.S. She's straight!"

That was about to change.

Still grinning, I slammed on the brakes and waited for him to join me or decide he wanted to walk home.

He got in the car and I pressed the gas again. I couldn't get to that girl soon enough.

After what felt like forever, her sorority-style house came up on the left. I rolled in quietly and cut the engine. "Stay here," I whispered and slipped out of the car.

"Lucy, I beg of you…" My car door shutting thankfully cut him off. I knew what his opinion was and I didn't need to hear it again.

The first part of my improvised 'break in' became evident. I wasn't going to go in there without knowing who was where, especially Amy. My handheld biometric heat scanner would do the trick. "Alright Debs, show me what you're made of." Four signs registered; two downstairs, two upstairs. One was pinpointed as Amy thanks to the proximity of her heat next to the scanner earlier in the evening. She was in the top right hand room facing the street. That wasn't exactly ideal thanks to passersby, but Scud would keep an eye out for me.

The heat scanner thankfully pointed out the heat-radiating obstacle standing directly in front of me. The force field wasn't a strong one, just strong enough to withstand the body temperature of anyone not encoded into the system and keep them out. Weaken the structure even more and anyone's body heat should be able to pass through. I pulled out my light disperser, something of Scud's own design, and traced an oval big enough for me to pass through. As predicted, the force field inside the oval vanished when the connections where I had traced were severed. It started closing in fast so I stepped through and looked at the next obstacle with a laugh.

Did they really think moving laser grids – plaid, at that – could stop someone when they were spaced so openly? It only took a few leaps to clear the grid and then I was next to the wall of the house. I could pick up no other deterrents. For being a top government agency, their security could really use some work. Scaling the wall proved easy and I even glanced back at Scud before sliding open the lockless window. He rolled his eyes and I could almost hear him say how retarded this was.

Then I stepped into the room. It was entirely blue with some white highlights. An entire poster board dedicated to awards was on the right and a desk and vanity were spaced along the wall to my left. My eyes strayed to the bed just beyond the awards with the blonde I craved to see sleeping peacefully. Her lips were full again and pressed together in contentment.

Without knowing how I was going to pull this off, but hoping to God it somehow worked out in my favor, I reached over to touch her far shoulder and whispered, "Amy."

She immediately snapped awake and exclaimed, "Oh my God," before grabbing me by the arm and placing her foot against my hip to flip me over the bed.

"Jesus!" I landed hard on the floor, my head snapping back from the force. The next thing I know, she's pressed against me, straddling my stomach, but I didn't let her stay there for long. Sure, maybe I'd like her there some time soon, but not when she's about to punch my face. "Just hold on!"

Having already accepted she wouldn't be able to hold me down, she jumped back on her feet and aimed a kick at my head as I rose. I dodged it with a duck and stood up in time to parry a strike from another kick and an attempted punch. The second jab went past my head and I grabbed her arm, winding my other hand around her head to force her to the ground and away from me.

Rather than hit the ground, she did a perfect somersault and hopped right back to her feet, her fists raised. This girl was better than I expected. This time it wasn't exactly cute, but… sexy in a way.

"What are you doing here?" I could tell she was still shocked at my presence. Who wouldn't be?

Keeping up with our first conversation, I decided on the truth once again and didn't even bother to raise my fists like her. "I wanted to see you."

"Why?" Amy asked calmly, ever the spy.

With all the preparations I normally went through to prepare for a mission, I never was one to think through the conversations I would have if I was ever caught, even if it was part of the plan. If it isn't small talk, I can normally come up with something logical to say, but the blonde's silky voice cut off all rational thought. Finally, an excuse came to mind. "Well, I was thinking about what you said about um, your paper."

I watched her fists falter for a moment in confusion. Mine would too. I went through all this trouble just to talk about her term paper? No wonder Scud did the talking.

"My thesis?" she finally questioned.

No use backing out now. "Uh-huh. And look, I think it's stupid for you to do all this outdated research when you could just come straight to the source."

Grinning more to myself than to Amy, I congratulated myself on the smooth transition.

"You?" she replied softly.

Eager that she understood, I nodded and played on my built-up confidence. "Come out with me. I'll let you ask me anything."

Obviously the confidence was needed for such a line of offense. In a split second she had grabbed a near automatic crossbow and was steadying the sights at my chest.

My hands rose in surrender as she retorted with no real conviction, "I can't go out with you."

I decided to play on that and lowered my tone to what I hoped she would find sexy. "Why not?"

Maybe she did because for a moment she didn't respond. "Like a zillion reasons!" she finally explained, but I knew her guard would be back up the longer I had to try and talk my way into getting her to leave with me. Her grip was slack and a well-placed kick freed the crossbow from her hands just before I took a hold of it.

Having the weapon locked on her may not be where I wanted the night to progress to, but having the upper hand returned my ability to speak. With one more lasting grin, I told her, "Now you have to come out with me."

Her mouth opened in disbelief, but at least it looked like she wasn't going to put up a fight anymore. Who knew, maybe she actually wanted to go, just couldn't without it being a threat against her life for the sake of her job. A girl can hope.

The hallway was thankfully empty according to the biometric sensor. I was somewhat disappointed she so willingly walked down the stairs to the front door, pausing only to grab the light overcoat to her pajamas that visibly doubled as a warm-up track suit. I wouldn't have objected to leading her out of the house with a firm hand on her lower back. That had to be more polite than by arrow point, right? And I am nothing if not polite.

We reached the door and she pulled it open soundlessly, harshly stuffing her arms into the jacket and practically stomping down the steps. I tried to close it just as quietly while keeping my new crossbow trained in her general direction – definitely not up for accidentally killing her before we even made it to the car.

As I followed behind her by a step or two, I heard the tell-tale snap of a twig and instantly shot at the exact spot I had heard it come from. It was easy to tell the person intruding upon my getaway was a Deb because her shoulder would have been nicked by the arrow if her instincts hadn't warned her to move half an inch out of the way. As it was, the arrow pinned her sweater to the tree and that seemed to shock her more than any drawn blood possibly could have. "Wha–"

"Janet! What are you doing?" Amy hissed quietly, apparently still aware of her surroundings, as she stalked up to the darker blonde.

"I don't know who that is, but he ruined my sweater!"

He? Who in their right mind could mistake me for a man? Sure, it's dark and I'm wearing black, but come on – I'm Lucy Diamond!

The girl shucked herself out of her sweater and came marching toward me against Amy's brief protest, so I matched her stride.

Her arms were swinging violently at her sides when she ground out, "I don't know who you think you are…"

I finally stepped into the moonlight a few inches from her and she screamed directly in my face. Jesus! If ever there was a way to instantly give someone a headache. At least she didn't flip me over onto the ground; once a night is already past my usual quota.

Her hand came up to the side of her face and twitched, almost as if it wanted to cover her mouth (what a relief that would be) or shield her eyes to pretend I wasn't standing right in front of her. Can't blame her. _I _wish I wasn't standing right in front of her. But since I am and there's no way she would keep quiet about who she just saw…

"Car's across the road. Walk."

Amy led the way, almost as if flaunting her seniority on this kidnapping. Jackie dutifully shuffled after her, arms crossed tightly and her eyes still wide in disbelief.

I caught Scud's incredulous look before we reached the car and I simply winked, tossing him the crossbow as he got out of the passenger seat. With a suggestive shift of my gaze, he climbed in the back, Janice following before I could really work up a look becoming of the threatening nature I'm known for. Amy slid in the front after the pigtailed wonder was seated and distinctly didn't look in my direction as I took my place behind the wheel. Fine by me, she'd come around. The one in back, however… Having started the drive to God knows where, I glanced in the rearview mirror and slowly curled my lip, half tempted to bite it. _Kidnapping_ Amy was one thing, but the second Deb too? Things weren't exactly going according to plan. Her condescending glare wasn't helping much either.

"Did you go to Dalton?" Scud asked, assumedly to Jessie.

I never caught if she answered or not because a far more interesting sound snagged my attention, although another glance away from the road regretfully told me the zipper had moved in the wrong direction to be of increased interest.

A longer second glance allowed me an all-too brief view of the better half of my quarry. I couldn't stop the cat-that-got-the-canary grin that painted my lips from appearing, but I did manage to look back at the road and find we had entered one of the better lit tunnels this side of the city.

Finally deciding her defensive nature could allow for a question, Amy asked heatedly, "Where are you taking us?"

Her question was amusing, especially regarding its stereotypical value, but I answered genuinely nonetheless. "Where do you want to go?"

"Home!" was the instant reply from pigtails.

I limited myself to an eye roll and jerked the wheel to the right as a "closed for repairs" tunnel came up. I may have crashed into a few orange cones in the process. Amy seemed to be internally questioning what we were doing down here and did her best to exude an air of ease with the situation while Joanne began glancing around at the signs and narrowing walls nervously.

Conversely, I had to stop myself from chuckling at The Junkpit's efforts to keep people out as I glanced at the signs too.

"Dead End"

"Turn Back Now"

"This Means You!"

Amy shifted in her seat, finally uncomfortable with the signs as well. "What are you doing?"

What was I doing? I was showing her how to live.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: The usual. Angela still owns everything.  
A/N: So... it's beginning to look a little desolate in here. Let's fix that, huh?

**Chapter Two**

Another mile of tunnel passed by at an increased speed as I pressed the pedal even further and gripped the steering wheel in both hands.

Jessica was beginning to heave deeper breaths as if they might be her last. I don't know why she was so terrified. Well, okay, maybe I did. One slight turn of the wheel could send us crashing into one of the wooden support beams leaving us trapped under a mountain of rubble, but come on… I'm a better driver than that. I've only ever gone through one wall down here. Speaking of said wall…

As if on cue, Janet – that's it! – shrieked as if hell itself had opened up in front of her. You'd think she'd never seen a holographic wall before. I let loose a private smirk and a low chuckle. Maybe their budget ran out at invisible plaid force field. (Just how much sense did an _invisible_ plaid force field make anyway?)

Returning to the moment, I chanced a sidelong glance at Amy and found her completely braced for impact. Somehow this made me smirk all the more. The shriek still ringing in my ears, I encouraged the gas pedal to kiss the floor as the more-graffiti-than-brick wall rose to meet us.

A single moment before crashing through the wall, Amy's slim fingers anchored on the crook of my elbow and held on as if her life depended on it. Their warmth seeped into my skin and I knew then that it wasn't her life depending on this touch but mine.

The wall came and went.

After a few seconds, so did her touch.

Left with a mere ghost of a feeling, my mind and arm cried out for more of her attention, but slowly tapered off upon noticing her hand's new task of calming her visibly throbbing heart before it beat out of her oh-so-lovely chest…connected to that nearly undulating stomach…

Right. Avert eyes. Look at the road. Focus on driving instead, Diamond.

I pulled up to a dilapidated club few on the other side of the law knew about. I'll admit it, I missed The Junkpit. It was the very first place I bought out with money I had earned myself. Well, money I had procured, anyway.

The Sky Mobile barely squeezed in the sharp 180 I pulled for the park job before I cut the engine and looked over at Amy. "C'mon."

Her lips pursed and arms crossed causing my brow to furrow.

When she shifted so she didn't have the option of looking my way, I sighed, glanced in the backseat at a shrugging Scud and even less complacent Janet, and tried again. "Look, these tunnels go on for miles. You guys could be lost in there for days, even weeks."

She didn't answer.

A very small part of me hoped it was because she had felt the same thing in the touch we shared and didn't want to risk admitting anything.

Yeah, right.

Still, that small voice told me to go for it. She'll follow. Maybe.

"Okay. Suit yourself."

Resolve finally settled in all but making me leave the car when it's probably the last thing I wanted to do. At least Scud climbed out and gave me the courage to walk away towards the club.

We were assaulted by a wall of noise and even stronger wall of odor – bodily and else wise – when my senses finally pulled away from the car and the faint slam of its door.

Scud wheeled around in front of me and asked despite the loud music, "Think they're coming?"

"I guess we'll find out, now won't we?" I replied tersely.

He turned and resumed his pace at my side upon recognizing my mood. I sighed because even in his silence, he was right. This wasn't exactly the best clubbing attitude.

"Come on." I placed my hand at his elbow in a form of apology. "Let's go stake out the foosball competition."

His grin grew to epic proportions making me think that supporting his gaming addiction may not be the best idea. Still, we made our way over to the table.

A rowdy carload of guys with hair in all shapes and styles were dominating the table, jeering at those that just lost their night's _pay_ on a game of foosball, yet my eyebrow wasn't even fully arched before they scattered to the four corners of the bar. One ducked out so fast he left his latest winnings on the table.

"Did you have to do that? Think of all the money I could have hustled from them."

I threw the wad of cash left on the table at him. "My method's much quicker, wouldn't you say?"

He acknowledged my point with a tilt of his head, and then exaggerated it a bit more until I realized he was indicating the bar's door. It seemed our guests decided to join us after all.

Scud watched with a blank expression as I visibly steeled myself. He probably wasn't too amused by the whole situation, or he was coming to terms that I was essentially handing him a rain check for foosball as I turned and found my eyes riveted to the blonde beauty slowly making her way into the room. Her arms were crossed, outlining everything her jacket covered in the cruelest of ways. Janet veered off to her right and I flicked my eyes back to Amy. I could see her trying to take everything in stride but still looking unbelievably incredulous that Janet would just leave her there. Not an entirely false fear here, I suppose.

Her eyes, more gray than blue at the moment, darted around as she reached up and adjusted her collar closer around her neck as if it would shield her from the world.

Well, wasn't that interesting? Not that I'm complaining, but why bother wearing a skimpy plaid school girl's uniform if coverage was comforting? Vulnerability, I realized with a quirk to my lips. The Perfect Score hid it perfectly; Amy radiated it.

I tucked away the smirk and narrowed in on the lone DEB from under my lashes.

Halfway across the floor, she caught sight of me, or my sauntering hips as it would seem. She quickly lifted her eyes back up to mine. Suddenly having eye contact with those stormy gray curtained windows, my confidence tempted to falter on me, but I grabbed it by the coattails. "Want a beer?"

"No," she replied curtly, disinterest all too evident.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed two from a passing tray anyway. "Come on." A tingle worked its way up my arm when I loosely held onto her wrist to lead her to my favorite booth. I let go when it began to hinder my ability to walk and breathe simultaneously.

We wound our way around a blue-haired girl dangerously bobbing her head to the beat and drumming the air when drums weren't even included in the techno song. The thought made me pause for a split second and watch. It seemed Amy noticed her as well as she was cringing away, trying not to get hit by one of the flying limbs. I grinned without restraint at the sight, but dutifully lead on into a less hazardous zone. I was tempted to reach for her wrist again, or even her hand this time, yet didn't because I knew she would follow and I didn't need the distraction, lovely as it would be.

Three people, only one a low-level criminal, were occupying my booth, but all three nearly jumped up to vacate the area as if they had been sitting on coals all along. But then again, sitting in my booth, they might as well have been.

"Thanks for keeping it warmed up." A sly grin ate away at my lips.

"You're welcome," the first to jump up practically threw over his shoulder, a salute more suited to hiding his face than showing respect plastered to his temple.

Too late for that, Johnny "Cash" Sullivan. I made a mental note to cross his name off of the "Tolerated" list kept at the front door.

"Sit down," I offered the obviously hesitant blonde, hoping my voice didn't sound as eager to her as it did to me.

The two beers thudded dully on the table as I set them down. Amy, seemingly having accepted the situation, slid into the rounded booth. My confidence soared once more when she chose to sit more towards the middle than the end. I sat on the other side and slowly scooted closer until I thought she might get uncomfortable if I got much closer. I was finally making some progress and scaring her away was not on the To-Do List.

Okay, one more little scoot closer.

It took a moment to resupply the normal amount of charisma in my attitude and in that moment, she seemed to steel herself for whatever method of communication I would end up choosing. Exhibit A? I looked over and she pursed her lips and glared. Ouch. Okay, so I was momentarily shot down – a smile showcased an inner laugh at the mere thought of anyone rejecting me – but another glance told me her closed-off persona had a different purpose. Or maybe I'm just being hopeful.

A third glance… Her lips were still pursed and she was distinctly looking at nothing in particular across the bar. Time for take two.

"So how long you been a Deb?"

If possible, her lips tightened even further and a flash of connected glances preceded an increased tilt of her head away from me.

Her refusal to even acknowledge a shared glance amused me to the point of almost letting an incredulous laugh slip. "Look, you're going to have to talk to me sooner or later." I artfully glided the bottle to my lips and took a flirty sip.

She thankfully chose sooner rather than later. "Look, I don't know what you expect to accomplish by bringing me all the way out here."

"Would you lighten up?" I poured my perfected tone on thick. "I know there are a shitload of questions you're just dying to ask me." Perhaps that was too thick as now she refused to even look my way. Time for a new tactic. "Come on, tell me about your thesis."

Bingo. Her eyes flashed to mine, almost questioning, but not quite. I prodded her on with rising eyebrows.

"It's stupid…" she finally muttered.

How would I know unless she told me? "Well, try me."

It took a moment, but then she gripped her bottle of Dos Equis with both hands, finally seeming to settle in. "Um…" A breathy exhale. "I guess my central hypothesis is that… as a woman, operating in a male-dominated field, you felt the need to overcompensate by being exponentially more ruthless and diabolical than your established male counterparts…"

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Ruthless? "I am not more ruthless."

"I think an argument could be made that you are… i.e. we're here…"

Hm. "That's interesting." She looked amazed that I accepted her logic so I prodded her again. "Continue."

Another exhale. And was that a hint of a smile? "…And I think that these psychological forces combine to create a kind of emotional void—"

Psychological forces? Emotional voids? Where is she going with this?

"—in which you're incapable of… loving or being loved."

Disbelief at her accusation sent a finger to jab the air before her pointedly. "See, that is _so_ not true."

"What?"

"I'm open to love. I am!"

Jesus, I practically sounded like Scud, trying to convince myself rather than her.

"I'm sorry, it's…it-it's just a theory."

"Yeah, well…" my voice got dangerously low, "what the hell do you know about it anyway?"

"Nothing!"

Nothing's right. I didn't fail to notice our reversed roles as now I refused to look in her direction, instead opting to take another swig.

Seemingly defenseless even in my anger, her voice wriggled back into my head. "I just broke up with my boyfriend, like—" I chanced a sideways glance at her in time to see her briefly check her watch. "—five hours ago."

She met my gaze for a moment, but then her line of sight dropped to her relatively untouched beer. The pad of her thumb flicked at the label. When that didn't have much of an effect, a single fingernail began scratching at the edge.

Watching her unique form of self-distraction, the realization hit me that maybe she did know a thing or two about finding the wrong kind of love. Having lost any residual anger, I had the sudden urge to reach out and still her hand. Instead, "I'm sorry. That sucks."

Her eyes flicked from me to the bottle and back again for a longer look, the etchings of a smile sketched on her lips. "Thanks." Her sudden shy demeanor seemed doubled by the demure tone.

Even though I knew it was probably a bad subject to be bringing up, especially so soon after it happened, curiosity got the better of me. "Why did you break up with him?"

She settled in for the second time, no doubt winding up for an answer just as long and logical as the synopsis of her thesis. "I don't know, it just… it wasn't…"

I was caught between wanting to prod her on and telling her it was okay if she didn't want to share. As it was, I didn't have to choose either. She dropped her last train of thought with a sigh and held my gaze.

"I think love should be irresistible, like a drug." A true, mesmerized smile preceded the glazed over look her eyes adopted. "I think when it happens you should just not be able to help yourself. I just—" She paused, searching for the words, and looked delighted when they came to her. "I wanted… more."

I vaguely noticed that she had stopped talking and that was probably my cue to pick up the conversation, but for once, no words came to mind. What could I say when her words were so pure? Purer than anything I had ever been even remotely associated with?

"…Babbling." I felt like I missed something, but then noticed her hand come up to cover a bit of embarrassment creeping into her face. The urge to once again take her hand to stop the motion came over me, yet I still wasn't sure how she would react to that. And the honest-to-God last thing I wanted to do was give her a reason to go back to giving me the cold shoulder. So I fell back on simple words.

"No. You're not at all." They felt weak as they left my mouth, but there wasn't much I could do to take them back now.

Yet they seemed to work as she turned further toward me. "This is so weird. I… Why aren't you killing me?"

Thinking of how unladylike Scud would say it is, I bit back the desire to bark out a laugh at the idea of killing anyone. Instead, I happily accepted the lighter conversation, gripped my beer anew and answered with an amused lilt, "Not into that," before taking another swallow.

Her mouth all but dropped and she leaned in closer, conspiratorially, and boldly accused, "But you killed those agents in Antarctica."

I'd killed who now? Disbelief of my own flickered over my features. "They died of frostbite or something. I never even met them."

"And those ATF guys in Peru?" Her eyes were locked on mine, the keystone of her belief in my public reputation dangling in between.

Hoping for the effectiveness found in being straightforward, I deadpanned the truth for her. "Ebola." Another swig followed.

It took a second to sink in. A long second. Finally, she responded, "You're so not what I expected."

That made me want to smile. One kept tickling at the tips of my lips, but I managed to suppress most of it as I rested my elbow on the table and pressed the flat of my palm against my neck, a few fingers playing along my jawline. "Well, I think that's a good thing."


End file.
